1990 Chevrolet C1500 - Ten-Ton Hammer

When the Hammer Comes Down, This Chevy Gets Outta Dodge!

You know what they say, never bring a knife to a gunfight. They also say you need the right tool for the job and sometimes that tool is a massive sledge. Truth be told, trucks are big and heavy, and it takes a big weapon to get something that weighs more than two solid tons of steel hauling. You'll need even more oomph if you want to be anywhere near competitive, especially in the world of drag racing.

So, in the never-ending pursuit of speed, Shane Vinje of Rosemount, Minnesota, decided to go balls to the wall. After three, yes three, completely blown and martyred engines, Shane realized that you would need to go all out to compete with the big dogs and keep the oil in the motor after each pass. That's why he put the full-on, NFL-style punter kick to the truck via a 520ci Chevy big-block engine that cranks out 744.5 hp and 631.3 lb-ft of torque to the flywheel. Keep in mind, this is naturally aspirated. Well, naturally.

"My last small-block ran a solid 12.52 e.t., at 108 mph, but as with anything in Minnesota, we had to hang up the racing for the season before we could get any passes with the bigger engine," Shane told us while we watched it get warmed up for a wicked burnout photo. We could barely hear him over the exhaust as he exclaimed, "I don't need a stereo, that's all the stereo I need!" Shane motioned to the truck as we felt the ground shake. He wasn't kidding.

Ok sure, it's got a drum to beat the band, but don't think for a second that this truck is all motor. Being a bodyman by trade, Shane made sure it looks as good as it performs and sounds. He sprayed it with an eye-grabbing Metallic Atomic Orange color and added other subtle touches. For instance, the tailgate and door handles, third brake light, gas filler door and antenna holes were all shaved and smoothed to perfection. "The doors open with a key fob. I spent a lot of hours making sure panels were straight and fit correctly. I also swapped out the front grille from the stock one off a Silverado."

Going that fast and having a sweet paintjob would be silly without the right set of wheels to complete the look. Shane picked a set of 20-inch S41 rims by Mondera for the front and back. The fronts are covered in Kuhmo Ecsta STX 275/45R20's while the rears are wrapped in BFG G-Force T/A's measuring in at 295/45R20. The truck has been lowered two inches in the front and back to give it an aggressive rake and a little squatting room for hard launches. The interior is an understated affair and the only hints as to what lays in store for its victim are the obvious B&M Pro Bandit shifter and custom-built Autometer gauge cluster dash insert made by Shane.

So what's next for Shane? As with any project vehicle, the mod list never gets shorter, the items only change. Shane tells us that he plans on installing a fabbed 9-inch rearend and lowering another two inches for a better stance. Shane expects to get hassled at the track for breaking out of his class, so he has a rollcage all lined up and a set of drag wheels and tires just waiting for a pounding from his heavy right foot, aka The Hammer.